Which to use
“stem” and “stump” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,336
- “stem” frequency rank
- #16,143
- “stump” frequency rank
- 20479
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | stem | stump |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors. | The remains of something that has been cut off; especially the remains of a tree, the remains of a limb. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set stem and stump apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
stem and stump form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20479, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
stem is recorded at frequency rank #4,336, classified as anoun, pronounced /stɛm/. stump is at rank #16,143, tagged as anoun, pronounced /stʌmp/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 20479, this pair ranks #430,799 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "stem" and "stump" be used interchangeably?
Remembering stem vs stump
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “stem” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable